


Beautiful Things Can Come From The  Dark

by lakemonsters



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Senpai/Kohai relationship, supernatural stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-02
Updated: 2013-11-02
Packaged: 2017-12-31 06:05:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1028141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lakemonsters/pseuds/lakemonsters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tonight is no different - with Yukimura on the bed and Akaya on the carpeted floor - empty noodle cups and Radiohead playing in the background.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beautiful Things Can Come From The  Dark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [morphaileffect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphaileffect/gifts).



Winter season had started, she was a few days old when Yukimura was admitted to the biggest and best hospital in Tokyo. The location, a good few hours from where his school is, a few train transfers from where his closest friends lived. But he is Yukimura and all those who believe in him don't mind the distance or the travel time. Maybe it's because the trip going there offered some kind of reprieve, an allowance for preparation before having to face reality. Life deals everybody a hard one and even the strongest of them fall.

 

_Will you just think of yourself and of getting better?! I'm begging here, Yukimura._

Begging? This would be the first time that Akaya heard that word from his Vice Captain's mouth. It simply wasn't the usual spiel from him and to top it all off he was talking to Yukimura. As far as Akaya knows, no one on the planet talks to Yukimura that way. Akaya'd been sitting quietly outside the hospital room - a foot from the door. He can hear them perfectly, was expecting some sort of protest from his Captain though none followed. He strains to hear more but is interrupted by a gentle hand on his head.

"It's not polite to listen in on other people's conversations..."

Yanagi looked down at him and his eyes were open, they were gentle. Akaya felt it, but he quickly pushed the thought aside when Sanada exited Yukimura's hospital room. The youngest member of the team quickly stood up, petulant questions followed - How is he? When will he get out of here? Why is it taking so long? What's wrong?! What's wrong with him?! Sanada answered none of them as he rounded on Akaya and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Genichirou..." Yanagi says calmly, reminding the Vice Captain that the boy he's about to manhandle is part of the team and is actually a key player. Injuring him now would do more damage than good.

"Will you for once do what you are told! Will you for once just behave! Are you really trying my patience?! You BRAT! Instead of resting Yukimura's worrying because you're always out late. I'm telling you now, if this continues you will be lodging at my house until Nationals." He shakes him well and given that Genichirou's frame is much larger than Akaya's it looks quite dangerous to a bystander.

Again, Yanagi reminds the Vice Captain - this time he lets go, when he does Akaya feels the wall behind him. He's angry too so he just shoots Sanada a venomous look in return, doesn't apologize. Not right now.

He probably saved his own life by not answering back, he understands in the way Yanagi looks at him, grateful for not aggravating the aggravated further. Akaya's does not look at them when they leave. Yanagi's always there to pick up Sanada - they always leave together - Yagyuu is perpetually with Yanagi. They are classmates after all. That's all Akaya knows.

He should go home too given that he is the only member of the team there. It is getting late as well - but he's got reasons for being here - the first being that he wants to see his Captain, it's just that when he got here Sanada was already in the room. The other reason would be a more selfish one - to pass the time. No one's home anyway. No one's waiting for him, just that big house and nothing more. His parents were always so busy, always on a trip that had them living out of their suitcase. Akaya just felt lonely. He detests feeling lonely, just as much as he hates feeling left behind.

"Buchou, I'm coming in..."

Yukimura's eyes are closed and he is breathing evenly. Akaya leans closer and checks anyway - tough fingers pressed against the pulse. It was an excuse to touch, it was an excuse to feel. The fingers slide around the thin wrist. Akaya holds on gently, he holds on for dear life.

"You shouldn't be out this late. It's not safe. You'll make your parents worry."

Akaya hasn't let go of his Captain's wrist, instead with his free hand he reaches and captures a point just at the tip of his upper lip where a light bruise resides. He wants to ask if it hurts but its so small, so irrelevant that it makes him want to cry. He does the next best thing and pulls away, backs off until he feels the wall behind him. Yukimura's eyes are still closed and the world outside is still moving.

"I'll be fine, Buchou. You don't have to worry. Just come back to the team soon. To me, like you used to hang out with just me." It wasn't a secret. It just happened naturally. Same vicinity, same train station. It was okay to spend time with a schoolmate, that's not a crime. Akaya leaves the hospital room with his fringes covering his eyes, his hand tight around the straps of his bag. He goes on with his usual route.

When he steps out of his local station - he has to walk two blocks to get home and though night has fallen, it's not exactly dangerous in their neighborhood. This isn't the ghettos. No one gets murdered for walking home past 8PM.

But there it is again, that feeling he'd been anticipating as soon as he walked out into the street. The feeling of having something watch over you, guard you. That feeling of security is so foreign to him that it makes him uncomfortable. As soon as he clears the first block and makes a right to his street, he looks back, his eyes angry - voice angrier. "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone you stray! You want to get hit with this bag again, huh?! I have my racquet with me tonight and you don't want me using it on you! Stop following me!" It's not an empty threat as he retrieves it from its carry-case and he lunges to strike.

The 'enemy' is a big dog, like a Wolf with a coat so dark - that when the light hits it - reflects back as a rich deep blue. The canine doesn't growl, but its stance is more ominous than anything. Its eyes do not waver and they look at nothing but Akaya. It does not flinch even when the racquet narrowly misses its head.

Of course, Akaya misses on purpose. And with that one strong swing he is able to release bottled-up anger and confusion. He walks away from this with an empty head. "Whatever, if you want to stay out in the cold then do so. Fuckin' dog." He's not surprised when it follows him down the street, to his house, to his front door.

When he reaches his home, it is apparent that its the only house with its porch light turned off. It's his job to open it and he didn't do his job because he intentionally stayed out late and so now he's fumbling with his keys, his loneliness and missing Yukimura: He misses him, his attention on him, the big bear hugs, the jokes he tells Akaya to ease Sanada's vicious sermons.

Akaya drops his keys onto the front door mat that says - WELCOME HOME. And something breaks inside him. He forgets his keys, forgets the huge Wolf that's followed him and he huddles in himself crying.

This is when he feels the cold touch of a wet nose on his nape, a light nip on his bicep. Akaya thinks that the Wolf might be sniffing him out and is finally going to eat him; but that doesn't happen. The Wolf sits beside him with its head lowered and Akaya gives no second thought when he reaches and embraces it as he continues to cry. And for the second time that night - he holds on for dear life - not wanting to lose the feeling of warmth and safety.

 

*

 

That was the only time they had contact - but the Wolf would always be there, following him when he went home late. Surprisingly, for such a huge animal no one seemed to mind when it walked beside Akaya. This gave him the notion that he was the only one who could see the Wolf or it would appear when there were few people and the few didn't really care.

It would follow him relentlessly once he exited the train station and leave when it was sure that Akaya was safe home. It even hung out with him at the park when Rikkai lost to Seigaku and Akaya felt like he wanted to torch the world.

But it disappeared after that. It wasn't as if Akaya was waiting for it. Something in him knew why it stopped appearing. It was like a trade, a weird trade of different things and different feelings - you can't have one without losing the other. That from the time that Wolf started following him a few days into Winter up to now, Akaya knew that it would not be doing so, forever. One day it was all going to stop. He's not a philosophical person, it's just how things are.

He'd lost his 'guardian' and the walk from the station to his house felt a tad lonelier. But all thought going that direction vanished once he saw Yukimura standing, waiting for him by his front door. He ran, fast enough to trip, fast enough to recover and not fall flat on his face.

"Didn't I tell you not to come home late?!"

"Buchou!! When..." he caught his breath - perspiring a bit under his school uniform.

"Let us in first, it's cold. I might get sick again."

Akaya happily let them in.

 

*

 

They always like to hang out in Akaya's room because it's big and his parents spoil him with every new gadget on the market. They compensate financially, is how Akaya calls it. But Yukimura tells him to just enjoy what he's given. Not all kids have the opportunity to do so. He says it proudly and it makes Akaya feel better all the time. Tonight is no different - with Yukimura on the bed and Akaya on the carpeted floor - empty noodle cups and Radiohead playing in the background.

"You're so quiet. What have you done to the Akaya I know..." Yukimura frowns in fake anger. "Silly..." Akaya says as he turns to his side to look at his Captain. "What?" Yukimura turns to his side as well in order to look into Akaya's eyes. They stay like that for a while, before Akaya stands up and moves to decimate the distance between them.

First, he kisses Yukimura's lips lightly - just a chaste meeting of skin before Akaya feels his Captain's thin arm around his neck. And he reciprocates by pulling away only to hug Yukimura in that position as best he can - his cheek on Yukimura's and his nose and mouth buried in his Captain's hair.

The boy hugged his Captain tighter, for he's felt this before, this _familiar_ warmth.

He didn't want to lose this again so he does the only thing he can do, he holds on for dear life.

**Author's Note:**

> I did not follow canon details once again. I seem to always do this with Rikkai. I guess it's my own version of anarchy towards a very disciplined school. And this story has a supernatural-ish element to it.


End file.
